China: Fuels

Regulatory Background

Fuel quality standards in China can be either mandatory (GB) or voluntary (GB/T). Direct administrative ownership of most mandatory fuel quality standards is managed by the National Energy Administration (NEA) to ensure fuel supply stability and refining logistics while administrative jurisdiction falls under the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) for final approval and publication [6808]. While the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) does not hold direct administrative jurisdiction in the issuing of fuel standards, it regulates fuel properties affecting emissions. Voluntary fuel quality standards are under the jurisdiction of the SAC (which may act directly or coordinate through ministries like the NEA), officially delegating operational management, drafting, and technical voting processes to the industry experts of the National Technical Committee on Petroleum Products and Lubricants (TC280) and its specialized Petroleum Fuels and Lubricants Subcommittee (TC280/SC1) [6809].

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In 2018, China enacted a regulatory overhaul by revising its Standardization Law and replaced the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) with the centralized State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). This reform stripped all individual ministries, local governments, and technical committees like TC280 of independent administrative execution authority over mandatory standards.

The national implementation schedule for fuel standards in China is summarized in Table 1. Low sulfur diesel fuel (S ≤ 500 ppm) became available “nationwide” in 2004 but 0.2% sulfur fuel was commonly supplied after this date. Prior to the national implementation of a 10 mg/kg sulfur limit, some cities and regions required fuels with sulfur levels (or other properties) stricter than the available national standard. In such cases, provincial fuel standards became available prior to the release of national fuel standards.

Diesel Fuel

At the China II stage, the automotive diesel fuel specification GB/T 19147-2003 was a recommended standard that limited fuel sulfur to 500 mg/kg. When the vehicle emission limits for China III -V were finalized in GB 17691-2005 [2881], fuel specifications only for the China III (350 mg/kg sulfur) stage were included. In 2009, GB14147-2009 transitioned to a mandatory national standard that defined China III diesel fuel. Faced with the lack of official fuel standards to ensure the availability of ultra low sulfur fuels that were necessary to enable emission technologies at the China IV/V stages, the Ministry of Environmental Protection adopted regulation GWKB 1.2-2011 which regulated sulfur and polyaromatics as toxics. Updates to GB 19147 followed in 2013 and 2016 that set sulfur limits of 50 and 10 mg/kg respectively. Selected specifications and availability status are shown in Table 2.

National diesel fuel standards in China include GB 19147 for onroad vehicles, GB 25199 for biodiesel blends and GB 17411 for marine applications. GB 252 (General Diesel Fuel) for other applications including nonroad engines was withdrawn in 2019.

Diesel Fuel

Onroad Diesel Fuel—For onroad applications, GB 19147-2009 was implemented in stages throughout the country starting in January 2010. GB 19147-2013 for China IV fuel was published in February 2013 and included recommended limits for China V diesel fuel in an Appendix.

In 2008, the maximum fuel sulfur limit in several cities was set at 50 ppm (e.g., DB11/239-2007). In 2012, the maximum sulfur limit in Beijing was set at 10 ppm (DB11/239-2012).

In February 2013, the State Council issued a timetable for its program to upgrade fuel quality nationwide. By the end of 2014, automotive diesel fuel sulfur was to be set at 50 ppm (China IV or National IV) and by the end of 2017, sulfur limits for automotive gasoline and automotive diesel were to be 10 ppm maximum (China V or National V). Diesel fuel standards for China V were required to be issued by July 2013. In April 2015, the State Council advanced timeline for 10 ppm gasoline and diesel fuel by one year making it available nationwide by January 2017.

The specifications for China V and China VI fuel, GB 19147-2016, were issued in December 2016. GB 19147-2016 included a schedule for the phase-out of China IV and China V fuels as well as the phase-in of China VI fuels. The transition from China IV to China V would be completed by December 31, 2016 after which China IV diesel fuel would no longer be available. The transition from China V to China VI would be completed December 31, 2018 after which, China V diesel fuel would no longer be available.

In 2024, an update to GB 19147 was initiated but later postponed. The update was intended to coordinate with the revision of GB 25199 “B5 Diesel” and modify the FAME content limit requirements; add diesel grades with lower operating temperatures than -50 diesel grades; add limit requirements for unconventional pollutants, such as chlorine and silicon; and update test methods.

Biodiesel/Renewable Diesel—While biodiesel has played a relatively small role in China’s fuel market, there are efforts to increase domestic consumption. A national standard for B5 (GB 25199) is available. In 2025, revisions to this standard were proposed that would expand the scope to B7 FAME blends and define a blend of 14-20% renewable diesel with petroleum diesel. The name of the standard would be changed from Biodiesel Blended Automobile Diesel Fuels to Bio-based Blended Automotive Diesel Fuels. Prior to 2017, a separate voluntary biodiesel component standard was available (GB/T 20828). In 2017, GB/T 20828 was repealed and mandatory requirements for B100 were incorporated into GB 25199 [6806].

Gasoline

Gasoline Fuel

GB 17930 is the primary gasoline standard. GB 17930-2016 published in December 2016 defines China V, China 6a and China 6b gasoline. The transition from China 4 to China 6b is included. The transition from China IV to China V was completed by December 31, 2016 after which China IV gasoline was no longer available. The transition from China 5 to China 6a was completed December 31, 2018 after which, China V gasoline was no longer available. The transition from China 6a to China 6b was completed December 31, 2022 after which, China 6a gasoline was no longer available.

The national sulfur limit in gasoline has been limited to 10 mg/kg since the China 5 stage, January 1, 2017.

Other relevant national standards include:

• GB 18351 Ethanol gasoline for motor vehicles covers 4 grades of E10 based on RON: 89, 92, 95 and 98,
• GB 18350 Denatured fuel ethanol,
• GB/T 22030 Blendstocks (hydrocarbon) for ethanol gasoline,
• GB 35793 E85 for vehicles,
• GB 19159 Automotive liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Natural Gas

Natural gas use in heavy-duty vehicles is significant. In 2024, almost 30% of heavy-duty vehicle purchases were for LNG fueled vehicles. In 2025, LNG use in heavy-duty trucks was expected to replace 28 - 30 million tonnes of diesel fuel and account for over 15% of total diesel consumption. CNG is also used in public transit and fleets but its importance is declining due to electrification [6811][6812].

The SAC’s TC355/SC1 Liquefied Natural Gas Subcommittee of the National Technical Committee on Standardization of Petroleum and Natural Gas administers a number of voluntary standards covering LNG [6810]. GB/T 38753 specifies the quality, test methods, inspection rules, and storage and shipment requirements of commercial liquefied natural gas. It defines three grades based on methane fraction, >97.5%, 86.0-97.5%, 75.0 - <86.0%. GB 18047, administered by NEA, covers compressed natural gas for vehicles.

Renewable Fuels

China has had policies in place for biofuels since the early 2000s. Early ethanol policy was focused on using corn surpluses. Almost all fuel ethanol production is consumed domestically, and expansion of fuel bioethanol production is discouraged due to declining corn stocks. Biodiesel/renewable production has been export focused but declined in 2025 due to anti-dumping duties imposed by the EU. This has been followed by efforts to seek other export markets and increase domestic consumption of bio-based diesel fuels. Domestic consumption of fuel ethanol and biodiesel/renewable diesel in 2025 was about 4.3 billion L and 750 million L respectively while total production capacity was about 8.0 billion L and 6.5 billion L (3.5 billion L FAME/3.0 billion L HDRD/SAF) respectively. Vehicle electrification is the primary means to reduce consumption of liquid fuels [6803].

In September 2017, the National Energy Administration announced a plan for nationwide use of E10 gasoline by 2020 [3959][3960]. In 2018, E10 was available in 12 provinces. Near the end of 2019, while a national E10 mandate starting in 2020 was in doubt due to a decline in national corn stocks and insufficient ethanol production capacity, some provinces including Hebei and Shanxi were on schedule for implementation. In January 2020, the national E10 target for 2020 was abandoned but blend targets for provinces that have already implemented ethanol blends remained in place. In 2025, 15 provinces maintained E10 mandates. However, actual blend rates vary and are often significantly lower. The national average annual blend rate from 2012 to 2025 ranged between 1.8% and 2.5% [5225][6803]. Ethanol imports have been used when needed to partially offset the limited domestic production capacity. By 2025, fuel ethanol consumption was declining due to decreasing gasoline consumption from the rising adoption of electric vehicles.

Synthetic ethanol production from coal has expanded and in at least one province, Shandong, it displaced bioethanol to capture over 50% of the independent refinery fuel ethanol market in 2024. Production is expected to continue to grow [6803].

Domestic FAME consumption is primarily driven by the B24 bunker fuel market for marine vessels. On-road biodiesel/renewable diesel consumption is minimal with Beijing being the only municipality with a B5 mandate. Renewable diesel production has been shifting to sustainable aviation fuel production for export which is expected to reach 74 billion L by 2030 [6803].

According to the USDA, China’s biofuels policy does not set minimum environmental sustainability performance criteria related to water, soil, or air; there are no limits on biofuel GHG emissions (g-CO_2e/MJ); there are no certification requirements; and foreign authorities are not allowed on-site access to certify biofuels [6803].

Selected Specifications

• Diesel Fuel
• Gasoline Fuel